“I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:100
This verse is similar to the last one except here the psalmist refers to his elders. The elderly were highly respected in this culture. Here he talks of understanding, a synonym to insight and wisdom. God’s commands make him wise, insightful, with understanding because he carries God’s words with him wherever he goes. He meditates on them and obeys what God’s precepts instruct.
It is wise to hide God’s Word in our hearts so we might not sin against Him. This is a way of remembering throughout the day and not forgetting God as we go about our earthly duties. We will gain insight and blessing the more time we spend meditating on what God’s commands mean, then obeying them. Believers who are doers of the Word will obey God’s way and thereby gain understanding in the value of Scripture through experience.
“I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:99
This verse nicely follows the previous one on wisdom. The psalmist here speaks of his insight now compared to his teachers. His teachers were first his parents, then the religious leaders. He has learned more than the dutiful Jewish student, diving deeper into God’s storehouse of treasure. Only those with seeking hearts find what they seek. God gives them eyes of faith to mine the precious jewels found in Scripture. This kind of insight is worth more than all the riches in the world. Earthly wealth will lose its luster one day and eventually burn up in God’s Kingdom. Wisdom from God is eternal for all His students.
“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.” -Psalm 119:98
To be wise. Even better is to be wiser than our enemies. This doesn’t imply higher academic marks or a more comprehensive head knowledge of the Bible. Atheists will read God’s Book for merely intellectual purposes, remaining untouched by the deeper truths the Lord has layered in Scripture. The way in which a believer is wiser than an unbeliever is through understanding the spiritual realities that exist. This only comes by faith.
Our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We see the purpose of our lives through the living and active Word of God. It is not a dead history book. Believers not only take in what we read and hear from the Bible, but digest the truth in meditation, then act accordingly through obedience. Do you believe all of Scripture to be true and trustworthy? Our answer will determine how we approach studying God’s commands, how we live, and how we relate to God Himself. God’s words are spiritual food, nourishment for souls on earth. May God be gracious to bless you with wisdom in thought, speech and action. May our sin nature (our enemy) not rule over us. Let us seek and pray for wisdom like the psalmist.
“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.” -Psalm 119:97
Why does the psalmist love God’s law? Because he loves the Law Giver. This is the proper order of affections. As God draws His children to Himself, we learn to love the One who redeemed us through the lens of Scripture. The Bible isn’t just a set of rules. We do not earn God’s favor or mercy through legalism. No, His Book is more- it is a Love Story. Putting the pieces of the Holy Word together with the laws, love, holiness, and redemption, we too can echo with the psalmist declaring how much we love God’s law. Through it we see our sin, desperate need for a Savior, and the way to have life everlasting with the Lord. Praise God for giving us the roadmap to Him through His sacred Word!
“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your Word.
I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from Your precepts therefore I hate every wrong path.” -Psalm 119:97-104 (Mem)
This octave begins with love and ends with hate. Like the psalmist, we love what God loves and hate what He hates. God calls us to love Himself, His Word and others. We hate sin, specifically starting with our own. We rightly understand that sin ushered in a Curse, which hangs heavy over humanity. The effects of sin are seen and felt everyday in this broken world, which is why the psalmist declares his passion for God’s Word and zeal to obey. He also knows a Perfect Kingdom will be ushered in one day. Promises fulfilled and yet to be bring comfort and purpose in this life. As the psalmist looked forward to the coming Messiah, we have the distinct privilege of seeing this promised fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Christian’s faith and hope lies in the “already and not yet” side of history as we wait on the Lord.
As we live in the interim, before God consummates full redemption, believers can enjoy the sweetness of His Word. The psalmist loves the life giving fruit God’s Word bears. He takes the Lord’s commands seriously, not wanting to grieve his Holy Father. As a result of his emotions toward God, the psalmist pens a beautiful octave of unrestrained adoration with devout seriousness in approaching His Word. Meditation, obedience, love- in this order the Christian life flows, over and over. It is in this faithful cycle, by God’s grace, we receive sweet words of spiritual nourishment.
“To all perfection I see a limit; but Your commands are boundless.” -Psalm 119:96
The earth and all that is in it will wear out. As beautiful as creation is, it groans under the Curse (Romans 8:19-23). The old Earth is wrung out like a tired dish rag, ready to be replaced with the new Earth and Heaven. It has a timetable and limits God has set in place. Yet God’s Word not only endures, it transcends Time through the Living Word, Jesus Christ. He is perfect and sufficient.
We can fancy ourselves very civilized and sophisticated in the 21st century, but sinful ways have not changed since the Fall. There is nothing in human nature God does not address explicitly or implicitly. His Word is relevant, powerful, living and active, able to bring what once was dead to life. God is in the business of transforming hearts of stone to hearts that look like His Son’s. He does this miraculous work through the power of His Spirit and His Word. The life giving treasure we have been given in the written Word is only dear to those who love its Author. Father, move mightily in Your people, kindling an inward desire for us to move toward You as You open our eyes to see the beauty of Scripture and not wander away from Your Good Book.
“The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:95
The psalmist knows the plans of the wicked against him. It is helpful to remember when we too are oppressed by evildoers, it is more that they have a hatred of God than we did anything worthy of their venom. Loving the Lord our God in faithful obedience is our “crime”. Therefore persecution should not take us by surprise because if they crucified Jesus, unbelievers will afflict His people as well (John 15:18-25). Yet we look to Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, clinging to God when enemies assail us.
Persecution is to be expected, not viewed as something strange for the Christian. When we suffer for Christ’s sake we can trust God is at work! All Christians should expect the way of the cross in this life- to be a daily living sacrifice pleases our Father. Instead of asking “why is this happening?” we must ask “what would You have me do today?” and walk in obedience. No matter how small or insignificant your obedience may seem, the loving Lord sees all. Continue to do good and place your faith in the One who loves you best. Jesus sacrificed Himself for sinners to have eternal peace with God. Set your gaze in His Word, asking the Lord to help your unbelief, doubts, or fears when you are weary and downcast. His statutes will provide comfort and wisdom to those who seek Him.
“Save me, for I am Yours; I have sought out Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:94
This cry for deliverance comes from one assured of his standing before God. The psalmist belongs to God. Knowing that the Lord will not forsake His own, the psalmist uses his adopted status as part of his plea for help. All believers have this privilege. We can confidently come to the Throne of Grace in our time of need, assured the Lord has heard us. This is our soul calm, the truth we rest in even when external circumstances swirl in chaotic warfare. God is with us, our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. He is never late to a rescue mission, as His divine timetable and ways are always perfect.
We wait with confident hope for God to fulfill all His promises, trusting in His goodness. If God’s children are considered the apple of His eye, then rest assured He has not forgotten you. In the “already and not yet” timeframe, let us persevere in keeping God’s holy precepts. His work on Earth is still not done. Our Father calls us to faithfully serve alongside Him to the very end.
“I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life.” -Psalm 119:93
Precepts are man’s moral obligations as we are joined with God. Christians represent Christ and therefore imitate His character, following God’s command to be good stewards of all He has given us (Genesis 1:26-28). Yet one of the greatest snares to holy living is forgetfulness. I forget every day where I placed my phone or if I responded back to a text. But spiritual amnesia is far worse. Think of how many times in Scripture the Lord commands His people to “Remember”. The psalmist declares he will not forget God’s precepts. Like Christian in Pilgrims’s Progress, when we step off the narrow path forgetting how God has called us to live, we are headed down the wide road of destruction, and just might end up in the clutches of one Giant Despair! God’s commands are for our own good. They keep us from destroying ourselves, preserve our souls, and sustain consecrated holiness.
On this side of the cross, you and I have the privilege of remembering what Christ has done for sinners and sufferers. We remember the bloody cross and God’s mercy. We remember that Jesus paid the believer’s sin debt once and for all. We remember Who we belong to. We remember that this place is not our home but Jesus is preparing a place for us with Him. We remember and believe and do not despair. The Gospel saves our souls, allowing us to live out the precepts God graciously provides for His children.
“Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve You.” -Psalm 119:91
This verse nicely compliments the previous two verses. The psalmist is still praising God for the endurance of His Word. God in His lovingkindness has proved Himself faithful over the course of human history to reveal His Truth to us. We would be eternally lost if the Lord had not left His instruction on how to find Him. What does the Bible say on how to find God? Jesus said, “I AM The Way, and The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). If we want to know God and His ways of saving faith, we need not look any further than His Son Jesus Christ (John 17).
All things serve God as well. Even a soul which does not know or acknowledge their Creator, God in His Sovereignty can use whatever tool He pleases for His purpose. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart to accomplish His plan in redeeming enslaved Israel through Moses (Romans 9:14-24). God appointed Cyrus, a pagan ruler of Persia, to allow the Jews to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. Isaiah even prophecies Cyrus’ role in Jewish history, calling him by name, 150 years before Cyrus was even born:
“This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me.” (Isaiah 45:1-4)
God gives each of us a will which He can use in His foreknowledge for His purpose. Nothing takes the Father by surprise, there is no ‘plan B’. This is the beautiful mystery of man’s will and God’s sovereignty at work. Praise God He allows us to mine the depths of His revealed wisdom. Yet I believe we have only begun to scratch the surface of this incomprehensible, indescribable, unchanging Lord of all. In writing his letter to the Roman church, Paul stops two-thirds of the way and exclaims,
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
redeemed in grace 